


We Sister Ships of Different Times

by BrighteyedJill



Category: Firefly, Star Trek (2009)
Genre: Crossover, Kidnapping, Multi, Polyamory
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-01-18
Updated: 2011-01-18
Packaged: 2017-11-11 06:57:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,206
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/475817
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BrighteyedJill/pseuds/BrighteyedJill
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Uhura isn't one much for playing hostage.</p>
            </blockquote>





	We Sister Ships of Different Times

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Rubynye](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rubynye/gifts).



> Hover over the links to see the translations. This fic was written (with love) for [](http://rubynye.livejournal.com/profile)[**rubynye**](http://rubynye.livejournal.com/)'s birthday commentfest. Thanks to [](http://jaune-chat.livejournal.com/profile)[**jaune_chat**](http://jaune-chat.livejournal.com/) for beta-ing.

“Wouldn’t do that,” Zoe says, and puts her hand on Uhura’s arm.

Uhura looks away from the knife on River’s belt. She didn’t realize Zoe had been watching, but she should have taken it into account. Six months of not going on away missions must have dulled her instincts.

River glances over his shoulder just long enough to see that Zoe’s taking care of the situation. Then she crawls another few inches up toward the rim of the crater and re-adjusts the sight on her rifle. Uhura frowns and eliminates another potential weapon from her mental tally.

Zoe is still watching her. Uhura puts her hand back down obediently, settling it over her rounded belly. “Do what?” she asks.

“The captain’s a man of his word,” Zoe says. “As soon as your captain gets us the parts he promised, we’ll make sure you get back to your people.”

“You in the habit of kidnapping folk to get what you want?” Uhura hadn’t heard this dialect of Standard before, but after more than a day in the custody of this little gang, she’s picked up their rhythms. After all, if they came through the rift like Spock suggested they did, they may not even belong in this time. She doesn’t want to take a chance of violating the Prime Directive by inviting questions on where she comes from or why she speaks the way she does.

“We do what we have to,” Zoe says, and her spine straightens a little. She moves to the other side of the crater to look out over the empty desert. When they’d crossed the expanse in the dark last night, Uhura had thought morbidly that the place reminded her of Vulcan. Zoe asks, “You in the habit of associating with liars and cutthroats?”

“That depends on who you call liars and cutthroats.” Uhura shifts to try to find a more comfortable spot to lean against the rocky outcropping, and to cover her desire to squirm. She hasn’t heard much from her captors on what the Enterprise crew has been up to since she’s been taken, but she knows Kirk isn’t above fighting dirty, especially when his people are threatened. She’s seen how he is when Spock is in danger, and she can imagine he’s no less enraged right now. And at the moment, Spock probably isn’t serving as his usual calming influence.

“Well.” Zoe jerks her chin toward Uhura’s belly. “Is the father one of Kirk’s crew?” She narrows her eyes then, sharply. “It’s not Kirk, is it?”

River pushes herself up on one elbow and shoots a look between them. “Not Kirk,” she says. “Could have been, but they talked, said Spock’s blood’s too important, should be him. So not Kirk.”

“River,” Zoe says sharply. “[Bizui](http://fireflychinese.kevinsullivansite.net/). Not in front of company.”

River chuckles darkly and turns back to her vigil. Zoe looks back at Uhura, wary now.

Uhura looks between them, and decides she doesn’t want to discuss the complexities of her relationships with a possibly-crazy child-woman with a gun, or with Zoe. “It’s not Kirk,” she says coolly. “But yes, my husband is probably with Kirk right now.”

“That follows.” Zoe nods sagely. “Love tends to throw the rule of law out the airlock, in my experience. I didn’t take it kindly when someone kidnapped my husband, for certain sure.”

Uhura can imagine; she’s seen the way Zoe handles a gun. She thinks of Zoe’s crewmates she’s met so far, and tries to imagine which one might be her husband.

“He’s dead,” Zoe says, as if she knew Uhura would ask. She looks out onto the desert as she says it, and falls silent for a moment. Then, “But not from kidnappers. He came out of that fine, more or less. And you will, too. Now stop eyeing the sharp rocks and settle in.”

Uhura draws her eyes away from the shale shards she’d been contemplating, and studies Zoe instead. “Did you worry, when he got taken?”

Zoe looks at her for a moment, assessing, then nods. “Yes. But I knew I had a job to do, and I went about it. I played by the rules until I saw that wasn’t going to work, then I took matters into my own hands. Is your husband the playing by the rules type?”

“Usually.” Uhura considers the way Spock had looked when she’d informed him that as the crew’s foremost expert in learning dialects on the fly, she was the best candidate for this away mission. She thinks about the sharp tightening of his posture when Kirk had agreed with her. Then she recalls the deep, bright glint in Spock’s eyes when he placed his hand on her bare belly and felt for the first time the consciousness of their child. “He makes exceptions. I doubt he’s in a law-abiding mood about now.”

“Good.” Zoe’s expression might have been a smile. “More likely we’ll get those parts we need, then.”

“Captain’s coming back. And in a hurry,” River calls.

Zoe holds up a hand to Uhura. “Stay there. Just sit still until we know what’s what, [ dong luh ma](http://fireflychinese.kevinsullivansite.net/)?”

“[Dahng ran](http://fireflychinese.kevinsullivansite.net/),” Uhura says. As soon as Zoe turns, Uhura slides her foot onto one of the larger shards of sharp rock nearby, and begins slowly pulling it toward her.

Three of the vagabond crewmembers vault over the edge of the crater, bringing a shower of sand in with them. The captain is grinning, and Jayne carries a bag over his shoulder. The other man, the one in a smart-looking vest too nice for the desert, says, “Do you think he meant literally rip out our spines?”

“Absolutely,” says River. She stands up and levels her rifle across the desert. “He could manage. We should go.”

“River, stop teasing your brother,” the captain says.

“Not teasing. Speaking the truth. Right?” River smiles at Uhura.

The captain shrugs, and says to Uhura, “Glad to see you’re not terrorizing my crew anymore.”

“For now,” Uhura says. Jayne avoids eye contact and gives her a wide berth.

“Well thanks to your friends, we’re ready to go. River, fire up the mule. Jayne, get that gear stowed. Zoe, cut her loose. We’re done here. “

The crew jumps into action. Zoe watches them climb out of the crater. Their land speeder roars to life, and Zoe nods. She pulls a gun from her belt and turns to Uhura.

Uhura clutches the sharp stone in her hand and tenses, ready to dodge or strike. Then Zoe flips the gun around in her hand and extends the grip toward Uhura.

“There can be some nasty critters out in the desert,” Zoe says. “Your people should be here in less than an hour, but in case anything comes calling in the meantime.” She takes a step closer and holds out the gun.

Uhura takes it and nods. “Thank you.”

“Sure.”

“Zoe, [ma-shong](http://fireflychinese.kevinsullivansite.net/)!” someone calls from the mule.

“Tell your husband not to hunt us down and murder us, would you?” Zoe says. As she climbs out of the crater, Zoe calls, “And tell them both [zhuhe](http://fireflychinese.kevinsullivansite.net/).”

“Thanks.” Uhura lays the gun against her hip and settles in to prepare for the arrival of two irate white knights. “I will.”


End file.
